Precious Golden Drops 

Thursday, January 31,  2019

Bihari farmers will showcase their very first one liter sample of distilled lemongrass oil, harvested in January, at the National Farmer’s Fair in Lucknow.  Inspired and organized by CSIR-CIMAP, the 1.5 acre field produced only a small yield due to the drought in Hadiyabad, Bihar. With high hopes for larger yields in years to come, however, the aromatic oil will be given a seat of honor.

“Even though farmers Praveen Singh and Bhadrinath planted 10 acres of lemongrass in August 2018, a lack of rain when it was most needed resulted in only a one ninth of a crop yield,” village coordinator Nand Kishor explains.”

The harvested lemongrass was taken to the nearby town of Ara for distillation at Krishna Vigyan Kendra (KVK), a center that provides information and agricultural technologies resources to local rural farmers.  With the help of Nand Kishor and Amrita SeRVe agricultural officer Ghanshyam, the farmers distilled the first precious drops of lemongrass oil.

Water, compost, and rest will help the prized lemongrass field prepare itself for the next crop in a few months.